Time
by Kender20
Summary: Oneshot. Atem finds himself shaken by a horrifying vison of the inevitable process we call time.


Note: What's up peeps? This is my second oneshot made in time for Halloween. Now there's a common theme between the two oneshots: they both focus on the concept of fear. This is the more serious oneshot of the two, and it is based on a surprisingly serious Garfield storyline by Jim Davis, and that author's quote, which was noted at the end of that story, was inspiring to me. You can see it at the beginning of this fanfiction, and I hope you like the story that I made through this inspiration.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, and I do not own the quote written in this fanfic. And I'm glad I don't own either of them. I only own Nimea and Paneshe.

Time

_**An imagination is a powerful tool. It can tint memories of the past, shade perceptions of the present, or paint a future so vivid that it can entice… or terrify, all depending upon how we conduct ourselves today…**_

_--Jim Davis_

A cold wind blew across Pharaoh Atem's skin. That was the first sensation he felt when he woke, and he wrapped his arms a bit tighter around his knees, trying to keep warm within the dark walls of his palace.

"Oh, great mother of Ra… the night air feels particularly cold this time." he said. "I'm just glad morning is coming soon." And morning did come, for the chill of the night was soon replaced by the warmth of the day. But for some reason, something is still not right. Slowly, Atem rose to his feet, a look of concern etched on his face. "What a strange sensation." he muttered to himself, and then an eerie question came to his mind. "Why doesn't it feel like home?" Atem began to walk around the palace, looking for his friends and family. "Mahaad? Mana?" he called out, "Siamun? Karim? Shadi? Priest Seto?" With little sunlight shining through what he noticed were cracks, Atem peered into the corridors. "Is someone home?" he asked out loud, "Anyone?" There was no answer, only the sound of his own footsteps and the echoes of his own voice. The beating of his heart quickened in pace, and he could feel his body shudder a bit. A twinge of fear was beginning to take hold, for he realized he was alone… but he didn't know how alone. "Where is everyone?" Atem whispered to himself. He leaned against the wall, trying to compose himself. "C'mon Atem, think! There's a reason as to why the palace is empty at the moment." He soon took notice of a light shining from the end of the hallway he was in. It was toward that light that the Pharaoh decided to go. "Perhaps my priests went out to the marketplace today, maybe to settle some business here. I guess I'll go out to join them, it's likely they need my assistance by now." Atem stepped outside of the palace… but no sooner than he entered the outside world than he stopped. His eyes widened with sheer terror, and soon he sank to his knees, and tears began to form. Everywhere he looked, he saw buildings of his city, all of them in the slow process of crumbling to rubble, the paint fading from every surface. Even the palace he came out of was in a state of ruin. And in the far distance, he saw more buildings… buildings that are much different from the houses of sun dried mud bricks, buildings made of metal and glass. The more Atem stared at the scene, the more terrified he became. Although weak at the knees due to the shock of it all, he managed to walk back inside the palace, this time lighting a torch to see in the darkness. Only then did he notice the cobwebs, and the dust, for even the interior was losing its color and the stone wearing away. Tears cascaded down his eyes, for he could not believe what he was seeing. "What happened here?" Atem asked to himself out loud, touching a wall painting, "My home… my entire empire… everything I know and love… it's…it's all in ruins! N-no one has ever lived there for centuries!" His body became stiff, rigid with a terrible realization. "Come to think of it, from the way things look, **I** shouldn't even be standing here today!" Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he saw movement in another hall. Startled, he looked toward the doorway where he saw that movement. "Who's there? Hello?" From the doorway, he could see shadows in the surprising shape of people he knew. Immediately, his steps became faster in pace, and pretty soon he was running toward the doorway where he had seen the shadowy figures. Closer and closer he ran into the light, until finally he went through the door. And when he did, he let out a gasp in surprise. "Mahaad? Mana? Is that really you?"

"Welcome back my friend." Mahaad said kindly. Mana gave a cheerful smile. Behind them were the other priests, and their own smiles seem to banish the darkness. Atem could not believe his eyes. Even his father was there, along with Priest Seto, who expressed a playful smirk to his cousin.

"Atem." Called a sweet voice that made Atem's heart flutter. He looked to the side, and a smile crept up his face. For there, standing with arms wide open, stood a young Nubian princess who bore a strong resemblance to Anzu Mazaki. This was Nimea, Anzu's other self, and Atem's true love.

"Nimea…! It's you!" Atem gasped. He dropped his torch on the spot and ran up to embrace her. But just as he wrapped his arms around her, his happiness was soon cut short. For his beloved's face contorted into a scream, and right before his very eyes, her whole body withered until even her face took the visage of a mummified corpse. His smile immediately disappeared, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief as he fell to his knees. Even as his eyes remained on his corpse of his beloved, he could still see from the corner of his eyes that all of his friends and family have also shriveled into corpses. And the whole time, he did not let go of the body that used to be Nimea. Anguished, horrified tears streamed down his eyes as he realized what had happened: he had been hallucinating. Slowly, he let go of the corpse, and let his arms go limp on his sides. He lowered his head, still in disbelief over what he was seeing. He was all alone, locked fast in a time where the people he loved no longer walked among the living, left behind in a time where the great empire of Egypt no longer exists. His whole body was shaking, and the tears flowed more profusely. He was truly scared now. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!" he screamed, his hands covering his face. "No! I don't want to be alone!" But there was nothing that he could do now. He broke down on the spot, his sobs echoing in the empty ruined palace.

* * *

Yugi was the first to wake up at the sound of anguished screams in the guest room, followed by Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu, Nimea and her son, Paneshe, all of whom were part of the sleepover while Sugoroku was out on an expedition. 

"What's goin' on?" Jonouchi asked, feeling groggy. "What's all the racket?" Paneshe, the red haired, blonde banged child, gasped in shock.

"That sounds like my dad!" he yelled.

"Atem?!" Yugi said, who was soon filled with worry.

"Oh no! I hope nothing's happened to him!" Nimea gasped, and she immediately rushed out of bed to the source of the screams. Yugi and the others looked at each other, worry in their eyes, and they too rushed out of bed to follow her. As they approached the room where Atem was sleeping, they could hear him choking with heartbreaking sobs. Upon entering, they saw him, tossing and turning in his bed, his face streaked with sweat and tears.

"I don't want to be alone…" he whispered in his sleep. By the look of his face, they can tell that he was suffering from a terrible nightmare indeed. Nimea and Paneshe were the first to approach the bed.

"Dad!" Paneshe said, shaking his father's shoulder, "Dad, wake up!" In an instant, Atem's eyes shot open, and he bolted up to a sitting position in his bed, wide awake. His breath was shaky, and his face drenched with more sweat. He looked over to see the whole group looking at him, even his wife and true love.

"Atem," Nimea said softly as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's all right. Calm down, it's only a dream." He let his breath slow, but the tears didn't stop flowing, and although his body didn't shake as much, it still shook.

"What happened, man?" Honda asked in concern. "That must have a really bad dream to make you act like that." Yugi held Anzu close to him, both of whom were feeling pity for the horror-stricken Pharaoh. Eventually, Atem became calm, even though he was still crying.

"It… it was horrible!" Atem said in a hushed tone of voice. "I was in one of my old palaces, and when I came out… I-I find the Egypt I know in ruins! Everyone I knew and loved before… Mahaad, Mana, Siamun, even Priest Seto… They were gone… I was alone…all alone…" Yugi felt a great deal of sympathy for his other self.

"Atem, I know exactly how you feel." he said, "Before I solved the Millennium Puzzle, I sometimes felt lonely too, and back then... Anzu was my only friend. So I understand what you were going through in that dream."

Paneshe sat on the bed, leaning on his father. "It's OK Dad. You don't have to worry about being lonely anymore."

"Your son is right, Atem." Anzu said. "We're all here for you. Even Seto Kaiba cares about you in one way or another, being the reincarnation of your cousin. And the friends and family from your past are always watching over you, even when you come to visit us from the afterlife."

"That's right Tem." Jonouchi said with a grin.

"Time can be very cruel at times." Nimea said, "I admit, it is terrifying. But you have nothing to fear now. We are always in your heart." She kissed her husband on his lips, the smiled at him. "Would you like to have something to eat before you go back to sleep." Atem wrapped his arms around his beloved wife and son, hugging them both. Along with Yugi and his friends, their presence was enough to ease away the lingering fear.

"Yugi, Anzu, Jonouchi, Honda, Paneshe… Nimea…" Atem said with a peaceful sigh, "what I need most of all… is you."

Note: I hope you like my Yu-Gi-Oh rendition of a favorite Garfield storyline of mine. Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday to Autumn-Angel-31! Now to work on Blue Eyes White Mermaid! Until next time!


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